Nike loses head of North America women's business to Athleta

From what the evidence shows, From an analytical perspective, In this articleNKE your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTA Nike and Athleta store

However, Kylie Cooper | Reuters | Michael Brochstein | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesGap's Athleta has tapped the head of Nike's women's in North America as its next CEO, dering a blow to the sneaker company as it tries to win back more female shoppers

Additionally, Maggie Gauger, who has spent more than 20 years at Nike, is the third CEO hired to helm Athleta in the last two years as the women's athleisure brand's sales decline

Under Blakeslee's direction, Athleta partnered with high-file athletes such as swimmer Katie Ledecky and WNBA star Kate Martin, and won over new shoppers with different types of ducts

However, the strategy has not translated with Athleta's existing customer base

For four out of the past six quarters, the brand's revenue and comparable sales dropped, which dragged down its parent company's overall performance

Furthermore, "Over the past two years, Chris has led the early stages of Athleta's reset, recentering the brand to win with innovative performance duct and refining the brand's point of view, helping to position Athleta for the future," Gap CEO Richard Dickson said in a news release, in today's market environment. "We're thrilled for Maggie Gauger to join as CEO of Athleta as we look to accelerate the brand's reinvigoration

In contrast, Maggie blends ven transformation capabilities, deep consumer centricity, duct fluency, and a heartfelt commitment to empowering women and girls (an important development), given current economic conditions

Moreover, This combination of skills and experiences will equip her to lead Athleta into its next chapter of growth

Furthermore, "Gauger's decision to become Athleta's next CEO is a big win for a brand so squarely focused on serving female shoppers, but a major loss for Nike at a pivotal time for the sneaker giant (quite telling)

Since Elliott Hill took the helm of Nike last fall, he has made the women's a central part of his strategy as he works to turn around the and return it to growth

In its first Super Bowl ad in decades, Nike targeted female athletes in its "So Win" campaign

It later announced it would be partner with Kim Kardashian's activewear line Skims as it looked to get an edge over competitors such as Athleta, Alo Yoga and Vuori

Moreover, Nike has said previously that 40% of its customers are women, but most apparel brands prefer to have more female consumers than male because they tend to shop more and spend more on clothes

Plus, the gender gap has given Nike's competitors a foothold in the athletic apparel, which could be a growth area for the company

Gauger was in charge of closing that gender gap in Nike's most important market, but now that work will fall to a new leader, adding another layer of transition at a vulnerable time for company

Nevertheless, Gauger is slated to take on the new role on Aug. 1 and Blakeslee will stay on as an advisor to "support a smooth transition," the company said in a press release

Moreover, Nike did not respond to CNBC's request for

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